A Fateful Encounter!
by KazutoK
Summary: Whilst having a lunch break, our new hero hears screams from above, and an explosion. She looks up to find-Wait, hold the phone. Is that a Pikachu? A short story.


I munched on a PB&J sandwich, savoring the flavors as they entered my mouth. Looking around, I saw that my Pokemon were enjoying their food, too. Most of them, anyway. I sighed at Luxray, telling him jokingly,  
"You better eat that food before it runs away from you." He jolted up from his thoughts, and then looked away from me. Setting my sandwich down on a napkin, I crawled over to his spot on the rock ledge, telling him,  
"C'mon buddy, how many times do I have to tell you it wasn't your fault?" I sat next to him and put one arm around his thick neck, using the opposite arm to gesture to my other five pokemon.  
"Look, see the others don't blame you," My other friends looked up from their pokemon food and gave him encouraging cries, "We lost at the Snowbelle gym but when we come back we'll be stronger. You'll see." I smiled at him and tapped his nose lovingly. He snorted in a cute way, and then grudgingly started eating his food. I laughed.  
Resting my head against him, I looked about the canyon. It was a beautiful sight. We were in a ravine of some kind, in a desert-like area. A tunnel from the surface had led us to this little outcropping in the side of the left wall. I supposed we'd have to find another way across, because I had though this would be it! Nevertheless, it was a good spot for a picnic.  
Just as I stood up to go back to my beloved sandwich, there was an explosion, and the ground shook underneath my feet. I wobbled as dust and little rocks rained down on my pokemon that were partially inside the tunnel. The sound of the explosion rang in my ears...or were those screams? Casting my gaze upward, my jaw dropped. It's raining people! 4 kids and a Pikachu! I immediately sprung into action.  
"Altaria, catch the older girl and one of the boys!" I ordered, "Swellow, go get the other boy and the little girl!" The two took off and I started to panic, realizing the Pikachu was still falling. I looked about, searching for a way to save the falling creature. Turning, I inspected what I had, chewing on my fingernails with anxiety. I heard a boy's voice yell,  
"Pikachu!" In the background. Sandwich, no...Lunch Box, not helpful! Aha! I snagged my emergency rope and tied it around my ankle, handing the other end to Arcanine. He took it in his teeth without question and I spun around, taking in Altaria and Swellow with the kids, both had one on their backs and one in their talons. They trainers looked fearful, their eyes trained on Pikachu's fast descent, one boy yelling Pikachu's name, and the little yellow pokemon was yelling too. Pikachu fell closer towards the ground. Closer, closer. I had to time this just right. My feet spread apart, and my fists clenched. I didn't move my eyes from the falling form as I took a deep breath and-jumped.  
I stretched my arms out toward the Pokemon and snagged it, a brief feeling of victory going through me. It looked at me, surprised, uttering a  
"Pika?" And then we started falling. The wind whistled in my ears as the ground rushed up to meet us. My eyes were wide and scared as I couldn't help but scream. I hugged the Pokemon to me and squeezed my eyes shut, not even able to hear my own cries in the quickly moving wind. My blood rushed to my head and there was an immense and painful tug on my ankle and then...we stopped. Slowly I opened one eye, and then the other to see the ground just a few feet below us. I gave the Pikachu a smile of relief and it gave me a relieved "Pikachu!" As well. Casting my gaze upward, I saw Arcanine, Quilava, and Luxray holding the rope in their teeth at just enough length to save us, while Umbreon leaned over the rock overhanging to worriedly cry, "Umbreon?" I yelled back, "We're okay!" as the three holding us up lowered us slowly to the ground.  
I set the Pikachu down, undoing the rope on my ankle. Sweet, sweet ground. I will never wish to fly again, I told myself gravely. A hiss escaped my mouth as I examined the slight rope burn on my skin. The Pikachu noticed and it's adorable pointy ears flattened as it took in the injury, letting out a shame-filled, "Pikachu..." Altaria and Swellow were beginning to land as I told Pikachu, "It's alright. I'll be fine." I smiled at its cuteness. Altaria put the boy in her claws down and Swellow did the same with the little girl. They both immediately ran over to Pikachu and me, sitting on the ground. The boy yelled Pikachu's name and Pikachu responded, jumping onto his shoulder happily. They were both laughing and I grinned.  
My friends put the other two down, and now I could get a closer look at all of them as I stood up. The Pikachu's trainer had black hair, a blue shirt and a red hat that he had picked up off the ground after coming to Pikachu. The adorable pokemon seemed very comfortable with him. The little girl had yellow hair in a side ponytail and a yellow purse that I hadn't realized contained a pokemon until a Dedenne popped out, looking sleepy and confused. This caused the girl to laugh. The yellow-haired boy acted like he was related to her as he ran up and embraced her, with a strange-looking pack on his back. Finally, I turned my attention to the last one. She had long brown hair and had somehow managed to keep a dark pink hat on her head during the fall. She had a shirt-skirt combo that was red and black. She seemed nice, wandering up to the others and asking if they were alright.  
I was snapped out of my thoughts as the black-haired boy turned to me and told me,  
"Hey thanks for your help back there, saving us and Pikachu too." He grinned at me, looking sheepish in a way. The others thanked me too, and I responded with a smile, saying,  
"You're very welcome! Might I ask your names?" They introduced themselves one a time, the Pikachu boy first,  
"I'm Ash and this is my partner Pikachu." He gestured to Pikachu and he greeted me too. The brown-haired girl was next,  
"I'm Serena." Then the siblings,  
"I'm Bonnie, and this is Dedenne!" Dedenne twitched it's whiskers in greeting.  
"I'm Clement. It's very nice to meet you." He gave a slight, amusing bow.  
"It's nice to meet you too. Headed anywhere in particular?" I questioned curiously. Serena pulled out a pink device with a bow on it and pointed to a nearby town, showing me.  
"There, see?" She smiled excitedly at me, "That's the site of my next Pokemon Showcase!" Can't say I was surprised. I folded my arms, nodding in appreciation,  
"So you're a Pokemon Performer then?"  
"She sure is." Ash told me, a fire in his eyes, making a fist. "One of the best out there." Serena blushed, I noticed. I gave her a knowing smile and her cheeks got redder.  
"Well, I won't hold you up then. See you all later!" I waved goodbye and then turned to walk away. They did the same thing but Bonnie stopped them, crying, "Wait!" I spun around to see what was wrong and I saw her brother telling her, "Don't you dare ask her to marry me, Bonnie!" Uh... Say what now?! I gave him a strange look and Bonnie pouted, claiming, "I was just gonna ask her what her name was."  
"Oh." I responded, still confused about the whole marrying thing, "It's Hazel."  
"Cool." Ash told me, then got serious and challenged, "Next time we meet, let's have a battle!" Taken off guard, I looked at my Pokemon, who gave me fierce competitive looks. Turning back to Ash, I narrowed my eyes and smiled, "You're on!"

Our heroes have made a new friend and a potential rival for Ash in Hazel, the Pokemon Trainer. Now, it's on the road once again to Serena's Pokemon Showcase in Anistar City, as the journey continues!

I smile, climbing up a path in the ravine to get to the top. Then I stop and frown, feeling as though I am forgetting something. Umbreon looks down from above me and my eyes widen with shock and horror. "No..." I whisper.  
"Umbreon?" Comes her worried Pokemon answer. My eyes tear up as they meet hers and I yell in eternal agony and sadness,  
"MY SANDWICH!"


End file.
